Apparatus for burning bagasse or other wet material



(No Model.)

RH. YALE.

APPARATUS TOR BURNING BAGASSR 0R OTRRR WBT MATERIAL. No. 363,270. Patented May Y17, 1887.

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rrp' taht mor-IARD rr. YALE, .or NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana..

APPARATUS FOR BURNING BAGASSEOR OTHER WET MATERIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,270, dated May 17, 1887.

- Application filed February 7, 1887.

To aZZ' whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. YALE, of New Orleans, parish of Orleans, and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in an Apparatus for Burning Bagasse or other Wet Material as Fuel in Furnaces; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andeXact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked My invention relates to the drying, distributing, automatically feeding, and burning of bagasse or other wet material as fuel in an ordinary furnace; and the object of my invention is, rst, to provide'a means by which bagasse or other wet material can be partially dried, distributed, and automatically fed and burned in the furnaces as rapidly as it may be produced, thus obtaining a large `amount of heat, and at the same time keeping the refuse material from accumulating; second, to afford facilities by which bagasse can be burned in an ordinary furnace, thus obviating thenecessity of building an expensive bagasse-burner and an additional set of boilers, as is now the general practice; third, to provide a means by which a battery of boilers can be fired by the bagasse when the cane-mill is in operation and by coal or wood when the cane-mill is not running, which renders a duplicate set of boilers unnecessary, as also avoids the trouble, expense,and deteriorationattending the "letting down of the battery every time `that the mill stops, as also to provide a means by which coal or wood can be easily fed and economically used in the furnace to facilitate the combustion of green or very wet bagasse or other fuel. I attain these objects by the mechanisms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal view of the mouth-piece lforming the opening over the top of the furnace; Fig. 3, an enlarged transverse section of the same, and Fig. 4 a side view of modified form of construction.

To enable others skilledin the art to make and properly use my improved apparatus, I

Serial No. 226,736. (No model.)

will proceed'to describe the construction of the same and the manner of its operation.

For convenience and clearness, the description will be given under several heads, as follows: first, the furnaces, boilers, and the mouth-pieces employed in connection therewith; second, the boxes or troughs employed in connection with the mouth-pieces and the receiving-hopper; third, the endless carrierchain by means of which the bagasse is delivered to the mouth-pieces, and, fourth,'the endless chain by means of which the bagasse is taken from the mill and delivered into the receiving-hopper.

First, the furnaces, boilers, cmclmouth-pz'eees.- In Fig. l is shown an ordinary battery of boilers having furnaces of the usual construction. which boilers are preferably set about sixteen inches apartand about thirty inches from the top of the grate-bar. A partition-wall nine inches thick is erected between the boilers from front bridge-wall to rear, and also cascade-walls .to confine the flames and direct them against the boilers.

l represents a mouth-piece of special construction located between the boilers,'as shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of each of which rests on the shell of the boiler at a point just below the water-line. These mouth-pieces are preferably made of fire-clay, and their inner walls diverge from each other as they extend from top to bottom. By means of this construction the area of opening increases from the top downward, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3.

2 represents a top plate, which is removably secured to mouth-piece by luting or otherwlse.

3 3, Fig. 3, represent openings in what may be termed, for convenience, the longitudinal sides of the mouth-pieces,77 which openings are adapted to permit the passage of the ,endless carrier-chain through the upper part of the mouthpiece, as will be hereinafter described.

4. 4:, Fig. 2, represent recesses formed in the portion of the mouth-piece about the openings for the purpose of receiving the adjacent ends of the boxes or troughs 5.

Second, the boxes or troughs employed 'in connection with the mouth-pieces and the receiving- IOO Q v 'essere hopper. -5 represents abox or trough of proper length and size, which extends from one mouthpiece to another, the adjacent ends of each being set into the corresponding recesses of the mouth-piece.

6 represents a receiving-,hop per constructed, generally, in any proper manner, but preferably provided with a platform, 7, and a curved surface, 8,which is concentric with the curved surface of the sprocket-wheel 9 of the endless carrier-chain, hereinafter referred to.

Third, the endless chain by means of which the bagasse ls delivered to the month-pfleces.9 and 10 represent sprocket-wheels located at the proper point, about which wheels the endless carrier-chain 11 turns in a manner well understood. l 12 12 represent rollers by means of which the upper portion of the endless chain is properly supported in its return movement.

13 13 represent rollers or other appliances journaled inthe boxes or troughs 5, by means of which the lower portion of the endless chain is properly supported in its forward moveu ment.

Fourth, the endless chain by means of which the bagasse is taken from the mill and delivered nto the receiuz'ng-hopper.-14 represents an auxiliary endless chain supported at its ends by means of sprocket-wheels located at the proper points, by means of which the bagasse delivered from the mill is taken and discharged into the receiving-hopper 6, before referred to.

The general operation is substantially as follows: The bagasse, when discharged from the mill, is taken by the endless chain 14 and discharged into the receiving-hopper 6. By the action, then, of the endless carrier-chain 11, which moves into the hopper upon the platform 7, the bagasse in the hopper is carried about the wheel 9 and delivered 'into the entrance-opening of the first box or trough, 5, which connects properly therewith. By the continued movement of the chain the bagasse is carried to the iirst mouth-piece, and is discharged thereinto until the mouth-piece is filled, and is then conveyed through the next box or trough to the next mouth-piece until that is filled, then onward in like manner until all the mouth-pieces are filled. If a greater quantity of bagasse is made than can be consumed by the furnace, the excess is delivered through the last box to the ground. By means of the diverging forms of the mouthpiecesA described the clogging of the same is effectually prevented. As the fuel in the first mouth-piece burns down it is automatically filled up again, as also all the others. The wet fuel being thus allowed to remain a short time in the mouth-pieces, which are, of course,highly heated, gives the same a chance to dry out, so that as it falls down it is in abetter condition to burn, and it will be seen that no green bagasse can get to the furnace without being more or less dried out, except when the apparatus is first started and the furnaces are rstA iilling up. l would emphasize this point by stating that when the bagasse can be thus practically dried out it burns very readily without any coal or wood to assist the combustion, and the same burns more readily than if not dried; hence it can be readily burned as fast as produced; also, the properties of the refuse materials-are by this means made of value and are entirely utilized. It will thus be seen that my burner dries,automatically feeds, and distributes the bagasse or other wet fuel, and must v ofmnecessity improve the value of all refuse,

substances as afuel.

Should the furnace become choked, or from want .of draft-or other reason the bagasse is produced in larger quantities than the fur` nace can economically burn, then .the-surplus' will be pushed out ofthe back end of the continuous iron box outside the boilers, and when it is desired to stop the production of thewet fuel then the same boilers are iired in front with wood or coal in the usual manner. Thus Vit will be seen that one battery of boilersfwill answer to furnish steam at all times and burn the refuse material as well, instead of having a separate battery merely to burn the refuse, as is now the practice. This is an important point on account ofthe expenses of a separate furnace and boiler and the cost of maintaining, asalso of space.

With my apparatus very wet material may be burned as fast as the combusti-on of the same can be easily and economically assisted by firing moderately with wood yor coal from the front. Further, if the producing capacity of a plant is desired to be increased, the apparatus for burning the refuse is also increased by erecting the additional boilers alongside of those existing and extending the continuous box and endless chain carrier.

The mouth-pieces, if desired, may be pro- IOO vided with a slot, as shown in Fig. 4, for the purpose of introducing a plate when it is desired for any purpose to shut off the delivery of the bagasse to any given ymouth-piece.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. As an apparatus for burning bagasse or other wet material, the combination of the mouth-piece 1, of fire-clay or other refractory material and shaped as shown on the drawings and placed between the boilers, with the continuous iron box or trough 5 and the endless chain `carrier 11, provided with blades operated by the sprocket -wheels 9 and 10 and passing over the platform 7, and through the continuous iron box 5, over the rollers 12 and 13 and hopper 6, all substantially as set forth, and for the purpose specified.

2. In an apparatus for burning bagasse or other wet refuse material, the conveyers consisting of the continuous iron box 5 and theendless chain carrier 11, provided with blades and operated by the sprocket-wheels 9 and 10 and passing over the platform 7, through the box 5, and over the rollers or other appliance 12 and13, all substantially as described.

IIO

ISO

3. ln an apparatus for burning bagasse or and openings 3 8, these openings being adapted 1o other Wet refuse material, the mouth-piece l, to permit the passage of the endless chain, as of refclay or other refractory material,shaped described. as shown and provided With a covering, 2, all This specification' signed and witnessed this substantially as set forth. 29th day of January, 1887.

4. In an apparatusfor burning bagasse or other wet refuse material, the mouth-piece Witnesses: of fire-clay or other refractory material,shaped A. J. EDMUNDS, as shown and provided with a covering, 2, J. BORLAND.

R. H. YALE. 

